Livestock guards, often referred to as “cattle guards,” are used as an obstacle to prevent livestock from passing through an opening in fencing that surrounds a pasture or the like, and are usually installed where roads or walkways cross a fence line, often at a boundary between public and private lands. Cattle guards are used as an alternative to gates that need to be opened and closed every time a vehicle passes, and are common where roads cross open moorland, rangeland or common land maintained for grazing.
Conventional cattle guards in most instances require that a pit be dug adjacent the fence through which the cattle guard is to be installed. The pit is covered by a transverse grid of bars or tubes, normally made of metal and firmly fixed to the ground on either side of the pit with spaces between the bars. The spaces are sufficiently narrow not to prevent a wheeled vehicle from crossing the pit. Cattle will generally not cross the cattle guard since the spaces do not provide adequate footing.
For conventional cattle guards that do not require a pit, expensive mechanical features are required. These mechanical features may wear out and also may be subject to mechanical failure. Further, typical cattle guards that do not require a pit are often complex in nature and generally not practical for everyday use. Current cattle guards, as described in the prior art, are pre-assembled and transported to the installation location. The cost of transportation and installation may be high in such circumstances. Therefore, there is a need in the field for cattle guards that may be assembled and installed in a rapid and economical fashion.